Leslie Frazier "taking a year off from coaching" per Bills PR

[Brand J]

Just now, GunnerBill said:

 

I mean he literally said Frazier would be the DC in 2023 if he wanted to be. I suspect Leslie is as hurt by what happened in the playoffs as anybody. 

Which year?

[GunnerBill]

Just now, thenorthremembers said:

The reason its been worse in the playoffs is because they are playing the best of the best offenses, and in this day and age of football a good defense is not going to stop a good offense.   The Bills need to work on making their offense better than the Chiefs, not trying to stop them with defense.

 

THIS. Bills give up more yards and points when they play the other two elite AFC quarterbacks than when they don't. 

 

Well hold the ***** front page!!!!

 

The Bills sucked against Cincy. All three phases, all game, no question. But as ever the man who got blamed here is Leslie Frazier. The guy who coordinated four top 10 defenses in 6 seasons. 3 of them top 5. 

1 minute ago, JayBaller10 said:

Which year?

 

Whichever one your B word whine was about. 

[GerstAusGosheim]

13 minutes ago, GerstAusGosheim said:

Here's the headline the Bills and NFL didn't want to publish...

 

Bills fire black DC with consistently top 5 defense after 14-3 season - while running HC's defensive scheme.

 

12 minutes ago, BeastMode54 said:

Stop with the bull####

 

Well, he's certainly not taking a year off voluntarily. Wonder why Sean waited so long. There's no DC jobs out there anymore. 

 

[Dr. Who]

21 minutes ago, Billl said:

The Bills lose to the Bengals 27-10 and everyone walks away talking about the defensive failings. Football fans are funny.

This is a thread about Leslie Frazier. There are plenty of others emphasizing strongly the need for a much better oline, an upgrade at WR#2, worrying if Dorsey is up for the job, hoping Josh gets right and returns to playing like he was in the playoffs against the Pats* and in the infamous 13 seconds game (granted, that level of superlative play is not sustainable over the course of a long season.) Anyway, boo Chief's fan, boo . . . jk, you're okay.

[Green Lightning]

I still can't get passed 13 seconds. One of the biggest moments in team history and the D they dialed up was beyond pathetic. Our D finished the last few games this season in lackluster and confused fashion. The Cincy game put me over the top. There is talent on our D, I hope to see a new DC bring it out. All the stat-heads will point to our record and where our D finished in the standings. But when it is crunch time our coaches are just less then our opponents' coaches. Three years of a SB window wasted. Time for a change. 

[gordong]

3 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I mean he literally said Frazier would be the DC in 2023 if he wanted to be. I suspect Leslie is as hurt by what happened in the playoffs as anybody. 

 

 

Good let him be hurt watching from his couch. 

[SCBills]

100% sounds like Frazier was done after the season and the plan is to have McDermott take over play calling.  

 

This obviously didn't just come about over the weekend.  They simply waited until now to make the announcement. 

[Brand J]

2 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

THIS. Bills give up more yards and points when they play the other two elite AFC quarterbacks than when they don't. 

 

Well hold the ***** front page!!!!

 

The Bills sucked against Cincy. All three phases, all game, no question. But as ever the man who got blamed here is Leslie Frazier. The guy who coordinated four top 10 defenses in 6 seasons. 3 of them top 5. 

 

Whichever one your B word whine was about. 

Ok so all of them. Yeah, I suppose the consistent failure would take a mental toll.

[Billz4ever]

9 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

 

Sure thing, Brandon

 

They definitely aren't very good at selling an obvious lie.

[TAinLack.]

2 hours ago, dma0034 said:

Wonder who they'll get for DC. I'm happy, I can't stand Frazier

 

Championship!  No really, Championship!!!

Curly Howard would be an improvement at this point!!!

Edited February 28, 2023 by TAinLA

[No_Matter_What]

I am fine with this.

 

I am much higher on Frazier than most here, and I don't blame him much for our PO failures (though he definitely deserves some blame, as exhibited by that 3rd down in our EZ vs Bengals which had its own thread here), but for me it has reached the point where we have to make some changes, even though it is pretty likely it may be for the worse.

 

We'll see what future brings.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

2 minutes ago, Billz4ever said:

The Bills were playing against backups at 3 out of 5 spots on the O-line.  Cincy clearly took their foot off the gas and just pounded the rock, which the Bills couldn't stop either. They could've easily hung 40 if they needed to.

 

And it's no secret out O-line sucks, so was it really a big surprise our offense didn't do anything? Doesn't change the fact our defense couldn't stop anything.

 

It was 17-10 in the 3rd quarter.  

 

Buffalo needed to score on the 2 minute drill before the half to put some pressure on.  They failed.  They needed 7 coming out of the half.  They got 3.  If they scored on both of those drives its 21-17, or tied etc.  The defense gives up 7.  24-10 - we 3 and out with 2 deep passes. 

 

 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

55 minutes ago, Jrb1979 said:

 

 

 

 

Whatever Aaron, your opinion lost value when you talk about how the skill positions are good enough around Josh as is. 

[billsbackto81]

7 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Huh? Frazier already was a head coach for multiple years and made the playoffs one year with Christian Ponder at QB.

So he's had his shot and doesn't deserve another? I'm sure Andy Reid and Belicheck are glad that didn't happen to them. He's not getting another opportunity because he's just not championship good. 

[DCbillsfan]

2 hours ago, HappyDays said:

This is really weird timing, and not too long after Chad Hall decided to leave. What is going on with the coaching staff?

This decision was made a few weeks ago.  They made it public today jmo

[ngbills]

McD can be def coord. Use the resources to bring in a sr off asst.  

[Buffalo Junction]

10 minutes ago, RyanC883 said:

 

I agree with that last paragraph up to a point.  McD is the Head Coach.  Let's treat him as that.  Put a real DC in place (I think Holcomb called plays in the past?), and let's see if that makes him a better HC who has to run the offense and defense.  If he can't, then it's time to look elsewhere.  Coordinator and HC are vastly different roles, as you point out.  

Yup. Holcomb called plays last year as interim DC in Carolina, and before that as DC in Arizona 

[ngbills]

Frazier upset after being told edmunds and poyer will not be resigned? Doesn’t want a rebuild year on d? 

[Shemp]

Good.

[Beck Water]

2 hours ago, Rc2catch said:

Weird.. 

Doesn’t change anything probably but weird to take a year off 

 

The man deserves privacy, but it's possible he has a medical issue either for himself or for a family member, and realizes he can't do justice to medical treatment/support AND coaching.

 

[T&C]

Sal Capaccio 🏈 Retweeted
Jay Skurski
@JaySkurski
·
25m
Brandon Beane confirms that Leslie Frazier would have been the defensive coordinator in 2023 had he wanted to coach. #Bills

[Nephilim17]

On a purely personal level I hope Leslie and his family are all healthy — I'm a little concerned as taking a one-year break at his age isn't to watch his kids grow; there's a reason. I hope it's simply a rest for him.

Regardless of what you think on a football level, Frasier is a good man and I respect him as such and wish him the best this year.

[nucci]

Just now, Beck Water said:

 

The man deserves privacy, but it's possible he has a medical issue either for himself or for a family member, and realizes he can't do justice to medical treatment/support AND coaching.

 

or he turned down a contract from the Bills or the Bills didn't offer him one. No one is infringing on his privacy

[ngbills]

14 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Huh? Frazier already was a head coach for multiple years and made the playoffs one year with Christian Ponder at QB.

People seem to forget Frazier has a ton of experience. May not like him but lack of experience should not be your reason. He has much more than Holcomb. More than even McD. 

[Billz4ever]

12 minutes ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

It was 17-10 in the 3rd quarter.  

 

Buffalo needed to score on the 2 minute drill before the half to put some pressure on.  They failed.  They needed 7 coming out of the half.  They got 3.  If they scored on both of those drives its 21-17, or tied etc.  The defense gives up 7.  24-10 - we 3 and out with 2 deep passes. 

 

 

 

Cincy had 30 first downs. 240 through the air and 172 on the ground.  When were these defensive stops going to happen that would keep the Bills in the game?  

 

Cincy wasn't playing aggressively in the second half because they didn't need to.  They chewed the clock and they did so because the defense couldn't stop them. +8 minutes time of possession for Cincy.

 

Pure domination at the line of scrimmage.  Barely sniffed Burrow all night long against a backup O-line.  Unacceptable.  

 

DBs lining up 7 to 10 yards off the ball on a 3rd and 5.  Unacceptable.

 

And we already knew our O-line sucks, so pointing the finger at the offense to deflect away from a total defensive collapse is not a valid excuse.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by Billz4ever

[BIGFOOTspaceman]

Frazier had his chance here and don't mind that he's gone.  I echo previous posters, you can win a SB with a 15th ranked defense.  This org needs to pour money into the offense.

[ngbills]

2 minutes ago, T&C said:

Sal Capaccio 🏈 Retweeted
Jay Skurski
@JaySkurski
·
25m
Brandon Beane confirms that Leslie Frazier would have been the defensive coordinator in 2023 had he wanted to coach. #Bills

I think there could be something to it. Maybe he is not pleased with what he is hearing about offseason plans. 

[Brand J]

2 minutes ago, T&C said:

Sal Capaccio 🏈 Retweeted
Jay Skurski
@JaySkurski
·
25m
Brandon Beane confirms that Leslie Frazier would have been the defensive coordinator in 2023 had he wanted to coach. #Bills

Wouldn’t expect him to say otherwise. It’s akin to asking “was this decision entirely Frazier’s?” Of course the Bills (and Beane) are going to say yes, even if it wasn’t.

[Beck Water]

2 minutes ago, ngbills said:

McD can be def coord. Use the resources to bring in a sr off asst.  

 

Historically, it doesn't necessarily work well when a HC takes on coordinator responsibilities.

See Pederson, Doug  for one recent example.

 

Probably the smartest thing Daboll did was hire a real OC, because I guarantee Mike Kafka didn't leave QB coach/pass game coordinator for the KC Chiefs to be Daboll's dingleberry.

 

However, my guess is that Senior Defensive Assistant Al Holcomb will take on the role of DC

 

Also, we already have a Sr Offensive Assistant in Mike Shula.  I don't think we need 2.

 

3 minutes ago, nucci said:

or he turned down a contract from the Bills or the Bills didn't offer him one. No one is infringing on his privacy

 

It was corrected that the rumors he was not under contract are incorrect.

 

Brandon Beane just stated that Leslie Frazier would have been the 2023 defensive coordinator of the Bills, had he wanted to coach.

[nucci]

1 minute ago, Beck Water said:

 

Historically, it doesn't necessarily work well when a HC takes on coordinator responsibilities.

See Pederson, Doug  for one recent example.

 

Probably the smartest thing Daboll did was hire a real OC, because I guarantee Mike Kafka didn't leave QB coach/pass game coordinator for the KC Chiefs to be Daboll's dingleberry.

 

However, my guess is that Senior Defensive Assistant Al Holcomb will take on the role of DC

 

Also, we already have a Sr Offensive Assistant in Mike Shula.  I don't think we need 2.

 

Pederson, Doug did a good job as Eagles HC calling the plays and winning a Superbowl as well as turning the Jags around this year. Not a great example

[nosejob]

13 minutes ago, SCBills said:

100% sounds like Frazier was done after the season and the plan is to have McDermott take over play calling.  

 

This obviously didn't just come about over the weekend.  They simply waited until now to make the announcement. 

Yep. He's got Holcomb to fire up players on the sideline. They knew all along they weren't gonna give Frazier a new contract and this was the best exit.

If they were gonna actually look for a new DC, they wouldn't have waited this long. I'm okay with McD calling the Defense.

[streetkings01]

2 hours ago, harmonkillebrew said:

What quality DC is going to accept a job for one year??  This is an odd move. If they're serious that he'll be back in 2024 then they'll probably just look to fill his shoes from within.  This is so weird its almost dysfunctional. 

Man shut up…..I don’t how you got too where you got too but it makes no sense!

 

Where in that article does it say he’s coming back to the Buffalo Bills in 2024? It says a year off from coaching and will return to coach in 2024…..never says return to coach the Bills defense in 2024.!

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

49 minutes ago, muppy said:

WHOA. Who gives up a DC job in the NFL to take some time off? It smells of trouble of some sort. Not a decision I would expect unless it was an issue more important than football.

 

Well Now our team Does need to hire someone new. Im surprised personally. I hope all works out okay with whatever caused this decision.

 

 

“Trouble” seems a stretch to me.  Additions were made to the defensive coaching staff over the past few weeks, and coupled with the expiring contract, seems more like a professional organization and professional people doing professional things.   
 

With luck, we rebrand a good defense into a great defense.  

[Dick_Cheney]

Just think, if defense has a lights out year, we don't have to deal with Frazier ever again. Really really hoping somebody aggressive takes this over for the coming season.

[BillsFan4]

26 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

THIS. Bills give up more yards and points when they play the other two elite AFC quarterbacks than when they don't. 

 

Well hold the ***** front page!!!!

 

The Bills sucked against Cincy. All three phases, all game, no question. But as ever the man who got blamed here is Leslie Frazier. The guy who coordinated four top 10 defenses in 6 seasons. 3 of them top 5. 

You don’t think the defensive game plan, play-calling, lack of adjustments and playing a safer defensive style was a major issue in the Bills playoff losses? I do.

In his time as DC I feel like I can only point to a handful of games against good teams where the defensive game plan really impressed me (like the ravens game where they shut down Lamar, the KC game in the regular season following the AFC championship loss, and the KC game last year as well as a few others).

 

I do think Frazier did a good job here overall. I have a lot of respect for Leslie Frazier the person and for what he did in his time here. But I do think it was time for a change.

 

I think the defense kind of changed as time went on. I think McDermott was more hands-on with the defense in his early years here. But as time went on and Frazier took more control and really started pursuing a head coaching job I think he started to play things too safe. Honestly, sometimes I felt like he was more concerned about good statistics than winning the game, and the defense often felt more like a paper tiger than an actual top 5 defense. The Bills also poured an awful lot of money and resources into the defense to get those top 5 (on paper) results.

 

 

 

Also, for as good of defensive statistics as Frazier had, I think it’s somewhat telling he never really got head coaching interviews. Now maybe that’s just because of his age or because offensive head coaches are a hotter commodity. I think we will learn a lot next season by whether Frazier is in high demand by good contending teams to be their DC. If he’s a top 5 DC in the NFL I would think a number of good teams would come calling, not just mediocre/poor teams.

 

I do feel somewhat sad that his time here is over, and they always say be careful what you wish for. But I think we also needed to make a change. You can’t keep doing the same thing every year expecting different results, and I think the defensive game plan and play calling was suspect enough to make that change.

We also need to find out if Frazier was part of what was holding them back in the playoffs or if it’s actually McDermott. My hope is obviously the former.

Edited February 28, 2023 by BillsFan4

[Taro Nimbus]

All you will be thrilled when the Defense will be worse this year.  But hey, you get what you ask for. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[JMM]

10 minutes ago, JayBaller10 said:

Wouldn’t expect him to say otherwise. It’s akin to asking “was this decision entirely Frazier’s?” Of course the Bills (and Beane) are going to say yes, even if it wasn’t.

Exactly. This was at the very least a mutual decision. 

[LABILLBACKER]

12 minutes ago, ngbills said:

Frazier upset after being told edmunds and poyer will not be resigned? Doesn’t want a rebuild year on d? 

Good!....Poyer is getting up there in age and the injuries are increasing.  Edmunds just doesn't generate big plays. No way we're keeping either nor should we.  Hopefully Holcomb can generate a more aggressive style of this "bend don't break" nonsense.  Every playoffs we break.  Wish Leslie the best but he's not coming back. 

[SCBills]

1 minute ago, Dick_Cheney said:

Just think, if defense has a lights out year, we don't have to deal with Frazier ever again. Really really hoping somebody aggressive takes this over for the coming season.

 

I think McDermott is taking over the defensive play calling, and the good news is that he now knows there are no more fingers to point if they don't step up in the Playoffs. 

[RunninRebel37]

I don’t get the hate with Frazier. Bills defense under his tenure have always been…what top 10 - excluding 2018 and 2020 - with them being top 2 two different seasons. Their play in the playoffs has been sufficient too given their talent. The Bills lost to the Bengals for a variety of reasons, primarily the offensive line breaking down, receivers not getting open or making plays, and the OC not scheming anything up. 
 

Wish him the best and hope his contributions are remembered fairly and appreciated. Sean McDermott wouldn’t be who he is today without him.